Bluesnik is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1961 and released on the Blue Note label.[2] It features McLean in a quintet with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Pete La Roca.
| Bluesnik | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 1962[1] | |||
| Recorded | January 8, 1961 | |||
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ | |||
| Genre | Hard bop | |||
| Length | 40:52 | |||
| Label | Blue Note BLP 4067 | |||
| Producer | Alfred Lion | |||
| Jackie McLean chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reception
editThe Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4½ stars and stated: "Many critics-as well as jazz fans hold to the opinion that Bluesnik may be McLean's most accessible session for the label... this is a monster session effortlessly performed by a soloist at an early peak and a supporting cast of blazing sidemen."[3] The Penguin Guide to Jazz rates the album three and a half out of four stars and describes it as "Tough, unreconstructed modern blues that reveal considerable depths on subsequent hearings" and further states that the album is "An excellent record, that should be a high priority for anyone interested in McLean's music."[4]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide |  [5] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [6] |
Track listing
edit- All compositions by Jackie McLean except as indicated
- "Bluesnik" - 9:36
- "Goin' 'Way Blues" - 6:34
- "Drew's Blues" (Kenny Drew) - 5:52
- "Cool Green" (Drew) - 5:20
- "Blues Function" (Freddie Hubbard) - 7:19
- "Torchin'" (Drew) - 6:11
- "Goin' 'Way Blues" [alternate take] - 6:42 Bonus track on CD reissue
- "Torchin'" (Drew) [alternate take] - 6:16 Bonus track on CD reissue
Personnel
editReferences
edit- ^ Billboard Feb 24, 1962
- ^ Jackie McLean discography, accessed October 14, 2010.
- ^ a b Jurek, T. Allmusic review, accessed October 14, 2010.
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (1996). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD (3rd edn) Penguin Books. ISBN 9780140513684
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 136. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 979. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.